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Pynaa
The God of Dreams Also called: One-With-No-Temples, The King of Cats Deific Rank: Greater Deity Symbol: A closed eye Home Plane: The Plane of Dreams Alignment: Chaotic Good Portfolio: Dreams, cats, architects, sleep, hope Worshipers: Catfolk, artists, seers, oracles, summoners, illusionists, cat aficionados, feline lycanthropes Cleric Alignments: LG, NG, CG Domains: Dream, Memory, Trickery Favored Weapon: Cat's-Paw (light hammer) and Cat's-Claw (karambit) Deceptive and elusive, the King of Cats Pynaa (py-nah) is the mischievous god of dreams. Pynaa maintains that his domains do not reflect things which are not real, but things which are possible. So far as anyone can tell, the only thing that Pynaa takes seriously is his position as dream-god; everything else is at least potential for a joke. Forever surrounded by his court of cats, Pynaa dresses in intricately-woven robes of shifting hues, and alternately appears as a catfolk of tremendous charisma and beauty, an unusually large silvanshee, or as a perpetually-grinning human male. His jade crown – studded with emeralds and cat's-eye stones – is typically worn at a rakish angle. His love of architects stems from their ability to make something in their mind's-eye so solid and real that one can walk in and out of it. History and Relationships Pynaa was not born, so much as made; a creation, meant to be a simple one, which simply grew beyond its creators' expectations. Before his existence, no one slept, not even the gods, and Kanaste's growing weariness lead even her to occasional outbursts of temper. The only time the nigh-immortal Old Tribes – the primordial ancestors of each race of sapient beings on Arc Arjet – truly rested was when they finally tired of life and decided to die, and gods do not die. For this reason, Ghette wished for a lesser form of death, which gods and mortals alike could use to refresh themselves – for those who reincarnated were rejuvenated and ready to face life anew – and so turned to the others to ask their advice. Working together, Aanelustre (then still sane), Ghette and Haanoc shaped a potential solution to this problem; the Father of Beasts granted him the form of his cats, because they seemed appropriate to the task. Granted infinite time and a knowledge of potential by the Endless Serpent, the ability to grant temporary repose by Ghette, and a boundless store of potential tales to entertain the sleeping with, Pynaa was yet simply an image – until Kanaste, intrigued by their work, granted the spark of life to him. His powers and gifts elevated him from implement to actual divinity. The new god, intuitive and mischievous, immediately set about granting rest to every sapient being he could find, and now even gods dream, guests of the King of Cats. As keeper of memories, he assists Darja and Haanoc; as the sovereign of cat-kind he receives their laws and new forms from Komate. He is on good terms with all gods, except when one of his occasional romantic trysts ends, which usually results in a savage fit of temper on Rekmaa's part. As the youngest and most meddlesome of gods, he is constantly getting into trouble, inspiring mortals and creating new adventures for himself and others. It is his feeling that mortalkind's reach should always exceed its grasp. Dogma What is real and what is not is merely perspective. Respect the rest and heed the dreams of others. Tend the flame of memory wherever you find it. Laugh often and deep, because this world is no more real than any other. Pynaa requires only one temple – the dreams of mortals. Any cat could be the messenger of their King. Clergy and Temples Aptly-named, Pynaa keeps no permanent temples; at most, one might find a shrine to him in another god's temple. However, the clergy of Pynaa are responsible for building the temples of other gods, receiving their designs in their dreams. These are believed to be the wishes of the gods themselves, interpreted by the King of Cats and presented to his mortal workers. The closest to a permanent temple to Pynaa is the Palace of Repose, though it is more a place of healing than an actual temple, lacking any icons, idols, altars or shrines. The Palace, located in the former imperial capital, is famously home to a veritable army of sacred cats, and also to people with various afflictions affecting their sleep and dreams. For this reason it is staffed by members of both Pynaa's and Aanelustre's faith, who work to treat these disorders with medicine and magic. Clerics of Pynaa are trained at temples of Darja and Ghette. They wear black robes with gray decorative patterns, and many carry extensive artistic, note-taking or even architectural tools, stored in a leather satchel all receive along with their holy symbol when their training is complete. Once a year in autumn, the clerics and oracles of Pynaa gather in various secret places to make offerings to the dream-god, then head to the nearest settlement to throw a great festival, Pynaa's Eve. Gifts are exchanged, illusions decorate the towns, and prophetic dreams are granted to randomly-chosen mortals.